UPSA coach Wobil is always full of charisma

Hate him or loathe him but he’s regarded as one of the finest basketball coaches in Ghana.

His charisma and out-spoken nature has made him one of the thick tacticians in Ghana ahead of the 2014 UPAC Basketball Champions ‘Special Edition’ in Accra.

New coach of the University of Professional Studies (UPSA) Emmanuel Essel Wobil is a man you will love to have on your bench ahead of any championship in the West African country.

The Fast Break Team came to see him and talk about basketball and they left deeply impressed with his depth of knowledge of the game in Ghana.

The minute he and his backroom staff walked into the training court of UPSA, the atmosphere has new energy.

Instantly, he went to tables where members of the UPSA men’s basketball booster club were waiting. He shook hands and answered questions. He listened intently. His smile came from his eyes as well as his mouth. The top of his nose crinkled when he thought what he was listening to was especially amusing.

He romanced the crowd like a politician on the campaign trail, maybe better, because the crowd believed in him and genuinely liked him.

Coach Wobil, nicknamed, ‘Ghanaa’ will be in charge of the UPSA team ahead of the UPAC warm-up games at the University of Ghana on November 29.

The former University of Ghana coach has hailed the team spirit of his team and confident his charges will be up to the task.

“We’re preparing for the mini tournament with all the seriousness it requires and we’re in good mood,” he said on Fast Break ahead of it airing on November 23.

“We know the pedigree of the other teams and we have a lot of respect for them but we don’t fear them.

“Accra Polytechnic for instance have experienced players and we know they will be difficult to beat but there is no turning back for us.

“We have a young team who are determined to work their way to the top and will cause massive upset in two weeks time.”

Coach Wobil isn’t at ease when he’s crouched on the sidelines of the basketball court in his suits, popping up to full stance to coach the floor.

He keeps an ongoing conversation with the referees during a game. He occasionally gets mad at them and their decisions, and will make his views strongly known without being afraid of been reprimanded.

“I hear a lot of times that I’m intimidating,” Wobil said, “but I don’t understand that. I really don’t.”

Wobil was responsible for transforming the University of Ghana team which won the GUSA games back-to-back and has been credited for honing the talents of many players in the country.

The Accra-based team will know their opponent in Sunday’s draw on TV3’s Fast Break.